Congress is at loggerheads over the budget for the Department of Homeland Security because Republicans want to strip funding for Obama’s amnesty for 4 million illegals. Democrats are attempting to stymie that budget and block the bill because of the GOP provision.
But despite the fact that the Democrats are the ones filibustering the budget, on February 17, Obama’s Press Secretary Josh Earnest claimed that the GOP was the one blocking the DHS budget.
.@StevenTDennis no impact. GOP has responsibility to govern & fund homeland security. Now seems like an especially bad time to block DHS $.
— Josh Earnest (@PressSec) February 17, 2015
It is an artful dodge to claim that the GOP is “blocking” funding for the DHS. After all, in the House of Representatives, where budget bills begin in accordance with the Constitution, the GOP passed its version of the department’s funding–though stripped of the amnesty money.
On Sunday, for instance, GOP Speaker of the House John Boehner noted, “The House has done its job under the Constitution.” He continued demanding, “It’s time for the Senate to do their job.”
The truth is the House sent a bill to the Senate that fully funds the security department less the amnesty money. But as it stands now it is the Democrats in the Senate that are actually blocking the DHS budget bill by filibustering it because they want the amnesty money put back in.
Obama’s press secretary simply didn’t tell the truth with his tweet, and it wasn’t long before a host of replies to Earnest’s misleading post appeared on the White House account.
One reply read, “Yes. It is time for the Senate Democrats to stop their hapless filibuster.” Another scolded the Democrats, insisting, “Take the provisions for illegal amnesty out of the f***ing bill! !! It will pass!” Yet another pointed out the truth, saying, “the Senate Democrats responsibility to take up the bill, congress passed it, Senate is in the wrong, don’t blame congress.”
Many are not fooled by Josh Earnest’s spin.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com
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